Paris: Five United Nations special rapporteurs have expressed “deep concern” regarding Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament, who is facing several legal proceedings that appear to constitute “judicial and political harassment,” according to a letter reviewed by AFP on Monday. The rapporteurs, appointed by the Human Rights Council but speaking in their individual capacities rather than on behalf of the UN, received a request from Hassan and her legal team.
Charged with issues concerning freedom of expression and the protection of fundamental liberties within the context of counter-terrorism, the experts sent inquiries to the French government in late June regarding the “numerous legal prosecutions” filed against her. They voiced fears that these measures represent “political and judicial harassment against Hassan” and align with a growing trend among French authorities to suppress voices advocating for the rights of the Palestinian people.
The experts also raised concerns about “several human rights violations,” including the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and non-discrimination. The French government was given until the end of August to respond to the rapporteurs before the letter was published online.
Hassan is scheduled to stand trial in Paris on October 19 and 20 on charges of “glorification of terrorism.” These legal actions stem from a post she made on her X account in late March, in which she mentioned Kozo Okamoto, one of the perpetrators of the 1972 Tel Aviv airport attack that resulted in 26 deaths. The Interior Minister notified the public prosecutor’s office about the post, which was subsequently deleted.
The decision to place Hassan under pre-trial detention on April 2 sparked widespread political and media controversy. Hassan has particularly condemned press leaks suggesting the presence of synthetic drugs in her bag, claims later refuted by investigations, as well as allegations that police exploited geolocation data from her mobile phone.
The La France Insoumise party, to which Hassan belongs, stated that the action taken by the UN special rapporters constitutes a “significant political warning regarding the erosion of the rule of law in France and the use of the judiciary as a tool to suppress political debate.” The party, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, called on the government to address the expressed concerns and cease exploiting anti-terrorism legislation to hinder democratic discourse, obstruct electoral mandates, or impede the defense of peoples’ right to self-determination.
